Leader or Manager?

What does it take to be a good leader? How is this different from being a good manager? By what standards are we measuring the goodness of a leader or a manager? Do the criteria ever change? One thing I have learned from my personal experience as both a leader and manager is that you can successfully use a single approach for all as a leader whereas a tailored approach is more useful as a manager. I think the reason for this is the generalisation that leaders exist to empower, inspire and grow their teams, while managers are tasked with ensuring business continuity in line the strategic position of the organisation.

In thinking about what a leader does, I don’t see why there couldn’t be a single, individual approach to leadership when the idea is to empower teams to be the best versions of themselves. On the other hand, a manager needs to respond to all the nuances of the business, including balancing the needs of staff as well as the needs of senior leadership. I have found this balance to be a delicate (though still enjoyable) one as it is not always possible to please both sides while maintaining the best interests of the organisation.

I have learned a great deal from my experience working with different teams and individuals and they have helped me to learn and grow as a leader and manager. My own leadership style preference is one where individuals feel included, supported, developed, heard and seen. These are all qualities that I would like to see in a leader and so I endeavour to lead by example. Juggling this with my manager hat on has sometimes been tricky as there are situations when you aren’t able to be as transparent as you would like to be for a particular reason or perhaps a steer from senior leadership needs to be communicated to the team, which may not be received so favourably. This is where I believe that the balance of leadership and management comes to the forefront – when faced with unfamiliar situations and the pendulum could swing either way.

The key is to lead effectively and inclusively so that the team understands why you are steering them in a particular direction – what is the reason and the outcome? What is their contribution in achieving this and how will they be recognised for their contribution? Then the manager in you can step in to ensure that your team knows what, how and when they need to act. The standards by which leadership and management are measured appear to be reflected in the success stories of teams that uphold a driven, open and inclusive culture, led by a person who believes in the team, the organisation and of course, themselves.

These are my brief thoughts on the standards for leadership and management in the present day. Perhaps in the future, there will be a further shift in the dynamics between leader and manager, just as there has been from the past to the present. As priorities change and we are learning more about the importance of emotional intelligence and mental wellbeing, it may be the case that innovative new leadership frameworks well and truly overtake the traditional management model to meet a cultural need within organisations.